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America Land of the Free or America it’s all Free?

I have refrained from entering the political frey on this blog. I do not feel it is the right place. I am going to deviate from that today.

Bernie Sanders, a Democratic candidate for president has enthusiastically accepted the term socialist in reference to himself. He is promising free health care, free college tuition, assistance for student loans and an all out war against anyone who has achieved financial success. SOCIALISM.

The voters are lining up, especially the younger ones. Lining up like cattle headed in for feeding time.” FREE? I want my free stuff!” “I don’t have time to work hard for years, sacrifice and almost lose everything to build my future, I want it now. They have it and I want it.” SOCIALISM

The problem is that America was built on Capitalism. Actually blended capitalism. You work hard, succeed and you get the fruits of your efforts. That’s pure capitalism. America has a safety net for those that are in need. Welfare, food stamps, WIC and several other programs. All though these are socialist in nature, when used as an essential safety net it is called blended capitalism.

America is the great nation we know today because of capitalism. People flock here from around the world to chase the American Dream, Capitalism. People work hard and invest their life savings in companies because they know they will be the benefactor of their success. Capitalism drives this nation and our people to greatness.

America didn’t win WWII because we had the best trained soldiers. The Japanese army was much more experienced than us. We didn’t win it because we had the best equipment. German engineers created some of the most advanced weapons in the world. We won it because of capitalism. America was a manufacturing power house that could put out more planes, tanks and guns then all of the other countries combined. No matter what our enemies destroyed we would build two more for everyone one they destroyed. Capitalism drove America’s victory.

America’s brightest compete to be the best putting forth their greatest effort in anticipation of receiving their financial reward. They suffer through years of demanding med school in hopes of someday reaping the rewards of being a doctor. They drive their companies to produce the best quality for the least money, confident they will realize financial gains. They hire and train the best workers at the best salaries with the best benefits in their quest to beat out the competition. Capitalism.

Would the same thing happen with socialism? The more you succeed, the more they would take to give to those who did not. Those who give little or no effort would be rewarded by sharing in your success. working hard would have no value. Fighting off the competition would offer no incentive. People would be relegated to average. Putting forth the minimum effort and receiving the same reward.

Socialism and communism share many commonalities in economics. Both have been tried and failed across the globe. Many of the European countries facing economic failure are socialist countries. Workers have no incentive to work hard. Production falls and government hand outs rise. The cost eventually becomes overwhelming for the government economy and it collapses.

At the core of our nation we find freedom. Our democracy was built around it. Our founders, at great cost and personal risk set off across the ocean in search of freedom. It is part of the fabric of our nation. Socialism does not value freedom. The government determines what is “too much” and what is “not enough” and then redistributes everything to be fair. The government determines who is too rich and needs to give more to support those who are not. Redistribution of wealth is not freedom.

There are those that exploit capitalism. They abuse their power to create greater wealth at the expense of others. This is NOT capitalism. We have laws to protect us from these individuals. When you see inequities in society, instead of focusing all of your efforts complaining about what they have that you don’t, why not work harder and make your own fortune.

Socialism looks at the wealthy as the enemy. Someone that is to be brought into line. They miss the point that the wealthy are the ones that create jobs for the rest of us. They run the companies that make the goods that fuel the economy. They are the ones that fund the charities and drive many of the social arts in our communities. Without the wealthy, who would create the jobs for the rest of us? The state?

America and our democracy depend on capitalism to drive our economy and keep us free. It built the powerful nation we live in today. Socialism is more than a change to our system. It is an attack on the very democracy that unites our nation. Socialism would be the beginning of the end of our great nation.

So. For those of you lining up for your “free” stuff (paid for by those of us who work for a living) I suggest you get to work and pay your own way. The rest of us have no intention of carrying you for the rest of your lives.